Not with a bang but with a whimper

“This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper” – T.S Eliot ending his poem The Hollow Men, much like he was concerned for post-World-War-One Europe, most Spurs fans are now concerned for life after Poch. At one point it genuinely seemed like this day would never come, that the man who told the press he hopes to be thinking about his Spurs first eleven in ten or fifteen years, the man who led us to heights we’d never experienced…the great man shuffled off in the middle of an international break, not ending with a bang, but with a whimper.

At one point he could do no wrong, he seemed too good to be true. A statesman to the press, a warrior on the touchline and a genius in the tactics room, we for once had it all. Well, not quite all. He didn’t win a trophy. We came slightly close twice and got beaten two-nil in two finals. He deserved so much more. We deserved so much more.

In truth, Pochettino became a victim of his own success. He led us too high too quickly. We flew so high with him we forgot what it’s like to be running at ground level.

“He hasn’t won a trophy” was first lashed at us by opposition fans, then our own fans started using it as a stick to beat him with. Then the booing, the apathy, the seats for sale became available on every single-row of our brand new stadium. It was clear to see some had lost faith.

Others had their faith emboldened, Pochettino’s Spurs 2.0 was coming. If only he could just turn this form around. The results hadn’t been great for a long time. The Champions League run, although historic for Spurs was as much to do with sheer chaos and luck as it was tactical nous. Little bit less of the genius, a little bit more of VAR.

Domestic form had been a problem for a long, long time and ultimately Pochettino has paid the price. What were the conversations had? What were those crisis talks? Sadly we as fans are unlikely to ever know what the final straw was. 25 points from 24 games perhaps. All we’ve got is a squad littered with players who don’t want to be there and a hole left by a manager unlikely to be filled for a very, very long time.

Pochettino did more for our club than any NFL sponsorship, Amazon documentary or new stadium ever could; he changed the way we felt about Tottenham. Instead of looking down at the cracking floor beneath us for once we looked around at strong foundations and looked to the future with genuine hope and excitement. Not baseless optimism and what ifs.

Pochettino flew too close to the sun and ultimately got burnt. It wasn’t his fault, it never will be. Blame can rest at so many people’s feet but sadly it is his neck that has been placed on the guillotine. Just like those boardroom meetings we’ll never know what Pochettino’s Spurs 2.0 will look like. Sadly he’s onto pastures new and we’re onto whatever Enic have planned for us*.

*(Jose, it’s Jose – editor)

Pochettino’s gone.

It doesn’t even feel right stating this.

Now all we’ve got are the memories. He shaped us, he moulded us into a modern-punchy-get-in-your-face club that on its day no one wanted to face. Yet here we are again, wondering what if.

The trophy cabinet may be empty but the hearts and minds are full. The man who took over inconspicuously but managed to become a cult-figure. A man who’s statesmanlike, philosophical influence towered over us fans like the new stadium towers over N17. We don’t really know what has happened behind the scenes. We can guess. But we do know Pochettino deserved better.